Commentary on the Book of Acts (Vol.2)

《Commentary on the Book of Acts (Vol.2)》

Acts Chapter Fifteen

I. Content of the Chapter

The Troubles that Paul Met in His Second Journey

I. He encountered the disturbance of the Jews who insisted on the Law:

A. The disturbance and counterplot------they went up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders (v.1-4a).

B. The thorough communication------reporting, opposing, considering and disputing (v.4b-v.7a).

C. The testimony of Peter------the Gentiles were also saved by faith (v.7b-v.11).

D. The testimony of Barnabas and Paul------God had worked many miracles and wonders through them among the Gentiles (v.12).

E. The conclusion of James------we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God (v.13-21).

F. The processing after the conclusion------choosing men, writing a letter, sending, reading the letter and exhorting (v.22-34).

II. He had contention with Barnabas:

A. They preached the word of the Lord together in Antioch (v.35).

B. Paul suggested going back and visiting the places where they had preached the word (v.36).

C. They had the contention because of Mark and even departed from one another (v.37-39).

III. Paul began the second journey with Silas (v.40-41).

II. Verse by Verse commentary

Acts. 15:1 “And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’”

YLT: “And certain having come down from Judea, were teaching the brethren -- `If ye be not circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye are not able to be saved;'”

The Background: in the beginning of the church, the common Jews still scrupulously kept the Law of Moses and the Judaic regulations (See Acts. 21:24). Some of them thought that keeping the Law was the prerequisite for men to be saved before God and therefore they insisted that the Gentile believers should also keep the Law and receive the circumcision and then they could be received and become members of the church.

Literal Meaning: “And certain men came down from Judea” The “certain men” here may refer to those who are from “the sect of the Pharisees” (See v.5). They advocated that believers should still keep the regulations of the Law of Moses.

“Came down from Judea” means that they came from the place of origin of Judaism------Jerusalem. They were zealous in the Law and wanted to forcibly implant their opinions in the Gentile believers so as to make them become the Judaic Gentile believers.

“And taught the brethren” “Teaching” does not mean that these men were granted authorization by the apostles or the church (See v.24). They just seized the chance to speak and stated their own opinions. “Brethren” include the Jews and the Gentiles.

“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” Such teaching completely conflicts with the truth of God’s gospel in the New Testament because: 1) by grace men have been saved, not of works (Eph. 2:8-9); 2)no one is justified by the law in the sight of God (Gal. 3:11); 3) those who attempt to be justified through the Law indeed set aside the grace of God and make the death of Christ be in vain (Gal. 2:21); 4) if believers put themselves under the Law, we indeed give up the freedom in Christ and return to be under the bondage of the Law (Gal. 2:4, 5:1).

Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Today, some liberal preachers think that they have received the education of theology and teach men everywhere in order to implant their newfangled opinions in others.

2) The church had better investigate whether the faith of preachers is pure before the church invites them to preach, lest wrong teachings be brought in the church.

Acts. 15:2 “Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.”

YLT: “there having been, therefore, not a little dissension and disputation to Paul and Barnabas with them, they arranged for Paul and Barnabas, and certain others of them, to go up unto the apostles and elders to Jerusalem about this question,”

Meaning of Words:“no small”: not a little; “dissension”: insurrection, conflict, discrepancy; “dispute”: reasoning, discussion; “determine”: appoint, ordain, set, assign.

Literal Meaning: “Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them” “No small” refers to rather sharp and serious.

“Go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders” Please note that it does not mean that the church in Antioch admitted that the position of the church in Jerusalem was much superior or it was the branch church at that time. They went to Jerusalem because those who made the problem were from there (See v.1). And they went to the place of origin to deal with and solve the problem. “The apostles” refer to the twelve apostles because God had revealed and entrusted them the truth of the New Testament. And therefore they were fountainhead of the doctrines and teachings of the New Testament (Acts. 2:42). “The elders” were the elders of the church in Jerusalem and they bore the authority of managing the church in Jerusalem (1Tim. 5:17). It shows that “the apostles and the elders” are the best persons to deal with this dissension and therefore they went to communicate and discuss with them.

The visit of Paul the apostle to Jerusalem this time may be the time that he called it that he went up to Jerusalem by revelation in Galatians (Gal. 2:1-10). Though some Bible exegetes, according to the “by revelation” there, argued that it should be another visit and it was different from this time of being sent by the church. However, the reasonable explanation was that they referred to the same time and the reasons were as follows: 1) the visit in Gal. 2 happened at least seventeen years after Paul’s being saved (Gal. 1:18; 2:1) and the other time that the Holy Spirit predicted the great famine through Agabus (i.e. a revelation) and the church in Antioch asked Paul to send relief to Jerusalem (Acts. 11:27-30) happened in about A.D. 47-48. And if we regard these two times as one, Paul should have been saved in A.D. 30-31 and it was obviously too earlier; 2) in the time in Gal. 2 Paul went up for “circumcision” (Gal. 2:3-4) and it accorded with the dissension of circumcision in this chapter; 3) the so-called “by revelation” means that Paul went up to Jerusalem because he obeyed the revelation of “being justified through faith” that he had received and it did not conflict with this time of being send by the church------“by revelation” refers to his inner burden and “being sent” refers to his outer task.

Controversial Clarification: according to this verse, many Bible exegetes held that the church in Antioch must admit that the church in Jerusalem was the branch church and therefore they sent Paul and Barnabas to ask for instruction. This opinion was wrong and the reasons were as follows: 1) in the New Testament the churches in various places are independent and in each church the elders mange the church. Each church is directly responsible to the Lord (Acts. 14:23) and is not managed or restricted by other churches. 2) At that time the church in Jerusalem sent men out in order to help the emerging churches instead of bringing them into the system of management. 3) Christ is the head of the body (Col. 1:18). If there is the so-called branch church, the branch church indeed usurps the sovereignty of Christ over churches in various places. 4) The seven golden candlesticks that symbolize the churches (Rev. 2:1) are seven independent candlesticks instead of seven branches of a candlestick. And the Lord Himself walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (Rev. 2:1), showing that today the Lord in heaven is still dealing with and overseeing the churches in various places and He has not entrusted the churches in various places to any person or any organization.

Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Believers should not strive about words with men randomly (2Tim. 2:14), however, when the faith is explained wrongly or distorted, we should earnestly contend for the faith (Jude. 3).

2) Those who serve the Lord should take heed unto themselves, and to all the flock (Acts. 20:28) have the responsibility and purpose of keeping the purity of truth.

3) If we want to solve some problem, firstly we have to discover the root of the problem and deal with it by the root.

4) If there is disagreement among believers, we may ask the leaders of the church or the elder brothers and sisters who are esteemed by all for help.

Acts. 15:3 “So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.”

YLT: “they indeed, then, having been sent forward by the assembly, were passing through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the nations, and they were causing great joy to all the brethren.”

Literal Meaning: “So, being sent on their way by the church” It shows that they bore the mission that the church had entrusted them in this journey.

“They passed through Phoenicia and Samaria” “Phoenicia” was Lebanon today and it was the long and narrow level ground along the coast in the northwest of Galilee, including the two cities Tyre and Sidon. “Samaria” was the convenient and fast and the only way from Galilee to Jerusalem and most of the residents there were the mixed race of the Jews and the other races.

“And they caused great joy to all the brethren.” It shows that believers in Phoenicia and Samaria were open-minded and they did not insist that the Gentiles had to keep the circumcision and the Law.

Enlightenment in the Word:

1) There is joy in God and men, in heaven and on the earth for leading one to the Lord (Luke. 15:7, 10, 32).

2) The key for believers to live a joyful life is to spread the gospel often and bear witness to the Lord more.

Acts. 15:4 “And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.”

YLT: “And having come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly, and the apostles, and the elders, they declared also as many things as God did with them;”

Literal Meaning: “they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders” Here it means that the church in Jerusalem held a meeting of the church for them and let them report all the conditions that they worked in the Gentiles.

“And they reported all things that God had done with them.” It shows that their work of gospel was approved by God and done by Him with them.

Enlightenment in the Word:

1) Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels (Heb. 13:2).

2) The best of the communication among believers is that the things that God has done with us are the theme.

Acts. 15:5 “But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.’”

YLT: “and there rose up certain of those of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying -- `It behoveth to circumcise them, to command them also to keep the law of Moses.'”

Literal Meaning: “some of the sect of the Pharisees” The sect of Pharisees is the strictest sect (Acts. 26:5). They not only strictly keep the Law of Moses but also spread it zealously.

“Rose up, saying” It means that in the gathering of the church, when Paul and others were reporting or after they had finished their report, they rose up and expressed their opposition.

“It is necessary to circumcise them” Some Bible exegetes held that “it is necessary” indicated “the prerequisite of having communication with the Jewish Christians”. However, according to the clear explanation in this chapter, it should refer to “the prerequisite of being saved” (See v.1).

Enlightenment in the Word:

1) After we have believed in the Lord and have become Christians, we may still bring the previous old opinions and ways in the church.

2) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2Cor. 5:17). And therefore we should be renewed in the spirit of our mind (Eph. 4:23) and do not cling to the previous opinions and ways.

3) He also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2Cor. 3:6).

Acts. 15:6 “Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.”

YLT: “And there were gathered together the apostles and the elders, to see about this matter,”

Literal Meaning: here it indicates that they held another gathering of the church in light of “whether it is necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and to command them to keep the law of Moses” (See v.5) in order to seek the agreed opinion and counterplot of the church. In such gathering, the Saints who were concerned with it may be allowed to attend the dispute (See v.7) and state their own opinions.

Acts. 15:7 “And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: ‘Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.”

YLT: “and there having been much disputing, Peter having risen up said unto them, `Men, brethren, ye know that from former days, God among us did make choice, through my mouth, for the nations to hear the word of the good news, and to believe;”

Literal Meaning: “And when there had been much dispute” It shows that in such meeting of communication, every one has the freedom to make a speech. At the same time, the word “much” shows that both sides have already expressed their opinions, however, each side has not persuaded the other.

“Peter rose up and said” Peter spoke represent the twelve apostles (Acts. 2:14).

“You know that a good while ago God chose among us’” “A good while ago” indicates that there has been a long period of time. It is the fact well known by all that Peter was chosen and entrusted the great mission by the Lord (Matt. 16:18-19; John. 21:15-17).

“That by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.” It obviously refers to the event of Cornelius (See Acts. 10).

Enlightenment in the Word:

1) In the church, many people are allowed to express their opinions freely, however, it does not mean that there isn’t restraint at all. To a certain degree, men who have the spiritual experience should rise and speak so as to bring men to God and look upon the will of God together.

2) If we want to know the will of God, we should observe God’s works in the church. From all the works of God in the church, we could know all his will at present.

Acts. 15:8 “So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,”

YLT: “and the heart-knowing God did bare them testimony, having given to them the Holy Spirit, even as also to us,”

Literal Meaning: “giving them the Holy Spirit” “Giving the Holy Spirit” refers to the assured proof that God has received them and it is beyond all dispute (Acts. 10:44, 47; 11:17-18). “Giving” is the past indeterminate form in the original.

Acts. 15:9 “and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”

YLT: “and did put no difference also between us and them, by the faith having purified their hearts;”

Literal Meaning: “purifying their hearts by faith” “Purifying” isthe past determinate form in the original. Both “purifying” and “giving the Holy Spirit” in the previous verse refer to the conditions that happened in the same event------when the Gentiles believed the gospel that Peter had preached, the Holy Spirit came upon them and purified their hearts (See Acts. 10:15, 44). The word of Peter means that since the Gentiles had been purified by God through faith, there was no need for them to receive the circumcision.

Enlightenment in the Word:

1) What God values is the purification of men’s hearts and the outer regulations such as circumcision is nothing.

2) Our heats’ being purified is not due to keeping the outer regulations of purification (Mark. 7:1-23) but the renewing of the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5).

3) The truth of gospel does not differ from men to men. There is“no distinction between us and them”.